Pat Hannan

Pat Hannan was the last of six New Zealand oarsman who attempted to win the World Sculling Championship (Professional) title.

JP Hannan, known as Pat or Paddy, was born in Wellington in 1886 but was later a resident of Blenheim for a number of years. He had a successful amateur career and then went to Sydney, Australia, to take tutelage from George Towns (rower) and Harry Floyd before turning professional.

A Title match for the Single Sculls Championship of New Zealand was arranged between Australian William (Billy) Fogwell (holder) and Hannan which was to be rowed in Sydney in March 1914. Holders of national titles were not always citizens of the country concerned, and unusually this match was not to be held in the country named in the Title. For unknown reasons the match was declared off and Fogwell said he would hand the Title over to Hannan who then claimed to be Champion. This was apparently disputed by New Zealander William Webb (rower). Hannan declared that he was willing to row Webb for the Title and for £200 a side. The race was run on 24 September 1915 on the Whanganui River championship course with Webb the winner.

The First World War curtailed sports but in 1920 Hannan challenged Fogwell for the single sculls Championship of New Zealand. The race was held on the Wairau River, near Blenheim, on 20 November 1920. It is unclear how Fogwell came to be the holder of the Championship as it seems that Webb had not lost it by any race. He had retired undefeated. Hannan won but in a return match scheduled the following month he had to forfeit because of injury and Fogwell became the holder. In 1923 and 1924 reports of races for the Australasian Title, (see below) Hannan was stated to be the NZ Champion but how that had occurred was not said. Perhaps it meant the NZ resident Champion rather than the holder of a formal Title. Apparently, no further New Zealand Title matches were held and in July 1930 Hannan retired. See also New Zealand Sculling Championship.

Richard Arnst, a New Zealander, was the holder of the Single Sculls World Title as he had won it by default from Ernest Barry. Arnst had earlier been the World Champion by winning races and wanted to defend this otherwise empty Title so he accepted a challenge from Hannan. For the fifth time a match for the Single Sculls World Championship was rowed on New Zealand waters; this time it was held on the Wairau River on 11 June 1921. The course was slightly shorter than normal, being three miles one hundred yards long. The stake was the usual £500 a side plus each contestant was to get half the net gate which was expected to be a substantial amount. The race got underway despite a strong nor-west wind that was blowing. Hannan made a game effort to beat Arnst who was the stronger of the two and who won easily enough. Later it was reported that Hannan was a better sculler than the result might have indicated as had picked the wrong side of the course to his detriment, that his boat was too light for the conditions and it was incorrectly rigged. He had also wrenched his wrist shortly after the start so was hampered in his effort.

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